Starting your first email list is challenging. It requires so many pieces, including an ESP.
While it's one of the most important parts of starting an email list, there are hundreds of ESPs to choose from. Comparing features and prices get overwhelming quickly.
If you're looking for you're tired of scrolling through top 20 lists, you’ve clicked on the right post. Today, I’m sharing the three best free ESPs for small businesses. Any of them is an excellent choice for your business, and at the end, I'll share my not-so-secret favorite ESP.
What is an ESP?
ESP stands for email service provider, or the software you use to create and send email campaigns. It's an all-in-one platform for managing all things email, including designing templates, building automations, and maintaining subscribers.
My ESP Criteria
There are a lot of ESPs out there with their own pros, cons, and features. Here’s why I picked these three as my favorites.
Free plans. Not everyone has the money to spend on email marketing software upfront. All three have a free plan with everything you need to get started.
Ease of use. I hate trying to navigate an unintuitive interface. You can figure out any of these in an afternoon, and they all have great online resource libraries.
Nice emails. I’ll admit I’m not that tech-savvy when it comes to email design. But thanks to drag-and-drop editors and large template libraries, these ESPs make beautiful emails a breeze.
Mailerlite
Mailerlite is one of the top ESPs you’ll find when browsing lists online, and for a good reason. It's designed for smaller businesses, with affordable pricing and a great deal of features in their free plan.
What I Like:
Mailerlite is my go-to recommendation for anyone who wants to start an email list. While I’ve had my issues with the software, I can never stay mad at it for long. It's just so easy to use, and the interface looks great.
I also love how much you can do for free, such as creating landing pages, A/B testing your emails, and creating simple automations. They have a great resource library with posts and videos on most topics. Their emails look quite professional even with minimal skills.
What I Dislike:
My biggest frustration with Mailerlite is their lack of customer support for free users. You can't email them, chat with them, or even mention them on Twitter. If you run into a problem, you have to use their resource library and Reddit to figure it out on your own, which can be frustrating.
Pros:
Quality free analytics
Large template gallery
Drag and drop email editor
Ability to make emails, automations, sign-up forms, and landing pages for free in the software
Cons:
No customer support on the free plan
No custom templates with the free plan
If you don't pay, you have to figure out any problems you encounter without help
Pricing:
Free up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month
Paid plans start at $9/month for 500 subscribers
Brevo
Brevo, previously called Sendinblue, has high-level integrations and quality features, even on the free plan. It’s not a platform I’d recommend for people who have never used an ESP before, but it’s great if you already have a little knowledge and want to up your email game.
What I Like:
I started using Brevo last year when I set up my newsletter, and I haven’t regretted it one bit. The email editor took me a bit to figure out (and I’m still learning), but it wasn’t too much harder than Mailerlite.
My favorite thing about it is how easy it is to segment subscribers and create semi-complex automations. If you’re just starting out, you probably won’t need those things, but it’s great if you’re more established. It also has a lot of integrations for more advanced email capabilities, such as abandoned cart campaigns or SMS messages.
What I Dislike:
First, I don't love the interface. It's not the prettiest, and I always struggle to navigate the menu because there are so many pages. This could be a personal preference, but I wanted to mention it.
And, like I mentioned, it does have a bit of a learning curve. It's not the most intuitive, and you will have to reference Brevo's resource library a lot when you're starting out (at least I did).
Pros:
SMS integrated
High-level analytics
Large template gallery
Great personalization abilities
Cons:
Steep learning curve
Too many features for beginners
Interface isn’t the easiest to navigate
Pricing:
Free up to 300 emails/day
Paid plans start at $9/month with no send limit
MailChimp
MailChimp is one of the oldest and most established ESPs. You've probably seen people praising it on every listicle out there. I'm not a big fan of it, but it has pros, which is why I included it.
What I Like:
MailChimp is fairly intuitive to use, with an easy drag-and-drop email editor. Their branding is also fun and quirky. You’ll be able to see basic analytics on your campaigns, which is great for beginners.
Like Mailerlite, they also have a decent resource library. You can view articles and search for answers right in the sidebar on the page, which you will need because, like Mailerlite, you get no customer support with a free plan.
What I Dislike:
My least favorite thing about MailChimp is how much you can't do with a free plan. You can't A/B test emails. You can't create landing pages. You can't make automations. You can do all of these with Brevo or Mailerlite. Because of this reason, I don't often recommend MailChimp unless you plan to pay.
Pros:
Easy email editor
Large template gallery
Easy to navigate
Cons:
No customer support on the free plan
The free plan lacks many features
Pricing:
Free up to 500 subscribers and 1,000/month
Paid plans start at $13 for 500 subscriber
Which ESP Do I Recommend?
You can probably guess, but I recommend Mailerlite as the best ESP for small businesses. It has good features, a decent pricing plan, and is easy to use, even for beginners.
Looking for more help and advice to grow your business? Check out my monthly newsletter, Your Small Biz Bestie! When you sign up, you’ll also get a free 5-day email improvement challenge.
Comentários